The Reds v Inter clash next week brings back memories of the famous Anfield night in 1965 when the sides met.

The date was Tuesday, May 4, 1965. The Kop was packed to the rafters, the gates had closed long before the start, the atmosphere was electric – and the opposition were in for the shock of their lives!

It was a European night that will live forever in the memory of every fan who witnessed it – the gladiatorial confrontation of Liverpool and Italian giants Inter Milan.

The Red half of Merseyside was already basking in the glory of winning the FA Cup for the first time in their history just three days earlier – and Bill Shankly’s cup heroes and the fans were determined that their opponents were not going to rain on their parade.

It was the European Cup semi-final first leg and the great Milan side, boasting players of the quality of Facchetti, Mazzola and Suarez, stood between Liverpool and their first final.

The Reds were on a high, having beaten Leeds United 2-1 after extra time at Wembley and the thought of more cup success – in the greatest club competition in the world – was a terrific incentive.

One of the heroes of that night, as he was destined to become 12 years later in the European Cup final in Rome, was Tommy Smith who, at the tender age of 20, was already making his mark on the team.

“We could have played Brazil that night and beaten them,” he said.

“When we heard the crowd I could understand how intimidating it was for the Italians.But it gave us a great lift.

“People talk about the atmosphere at the St Etienne game, when David Fairclough was the hero, and Istanbul, but that night against Inter Milan was something special.”

Smithy went on: “I had a mate who got to the ground around one and a half hours before kick-off and was amazed to find the streets were almost deserted – everyone was already in the ground and it was a full house.

“Shanks was already hero-worshipped by the fans. He had won the league and then accomplished something Liverpool had never done before by guiding the team to the FA Cup – and he was looking forward to the European tie.”

It was inside the ground just minutes before kick-off that Shankly pulled off a masterstroke. He sent out Gerry Byrne, another hero of Wembley after playing on with a broken collarbone, and Gordon Milne, who had missed the final with injury, to parade the FA Cup around the ground in front of the 54,082 capacity crowd.

“If the Italians thought they had heard noise in the San Siro I can tell you they had never experienced anything like the noise from the Anfield fans as the cup was carried round,” said Smithy.

The team showed one change from the Wembley line-up, Ronnie Moran replacing Byrne, while Geoff Strong retained his place with Milne still injured.

The Anfield Iron went on: “The message from Shanks was simple. He told us we had been playing well, we had just won the cup and to go out and play to the best of our ability.”

Roared on by the crowd, the Liverpool side did just that, with goal poacher supreme Roger Hunt firing the Reds ahead after just four minutes from Ian Callaghan’s cross.

The joy was short lived, however, as Mazzola equalised in the 10th minute, but Callaghan made his mark on the game with a goal from a well-worked free kick after 34 minutes.

It was at that point that the Kop, a swaying mass of bodies, broke into song with 'Go back to Italy' to the tune of 'Santa Lucia'.

Five minutes before half time, Chris Lawler shot home from the edge of the box, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside, but Ian St John wrapped up a 3-1 victory in the second half.

It was a result that effectively established Liverpool as a European force and the Anfield crowd as a key factor in the club’s rise to fame at the height of the famous Merseybeat sound of the swinging Sixties.

“I have never been involved in a game with such support,” Smithy admitted. “It was unbelievable. Everyone, players and fans, was on a high after that Leeds win.

“We could not celebrate much after Wembley in view of the importance of the Milan game, but winning the cup gave us a great incentive for beating the Italians. It was our first involvement in the competition and to reach the semi-final was something special.”

Smithy went on: “After the amazing scenes on our return from Wembley, Shanks decided we should have a quiet break so we went up to Blackpool for a rest and to get out of the spotlight.

“Chris Lawler got married on the Monday, and as I was his roommate and it was the day before the Euro tie he spent his honeymoon night with me!

“Milan were supposedly a good side, while we were a comparatively new team that had won the league and then the cup. But we played them off the park.

“Shanks used to wind us up in the dressing room. He took the initiative of having won the cup and pushed that side of things with us.

“He revved up the crowd with Byrne, Milne and the cup, and it was non-stop noise inside Anfield – so different in Rome in 1977, because the fans were so far away from the players that by the time the noise got to you it was like an echo. But we were the better side against Inter on the night and astounded them because we could have won by 4-1 at least.

“We went to the San Siro with the confidence of having beaten a really good side. Inter Milan had a lot more history than Liverpool FC at that time, but we did not know what to expect.”

Disputed goals, controversial decisions by the referee, who was labelled “a cheat,” and a 3-0 second leg defeat left the Reds’ hopes of their first Euro glory in tatters.

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The Editor

Alastair Machray

Alastair Machray was appointed editor of The Liverpool Echo in 2005 and is also editor-in-chief of Trinity Mirror Merseyside, Cheshire and North Wales. He is a former editor of The Daily Post (Wales and England) and editor-in-chief of the company's Welsh operations. Married dad-of-two and keen golfer Alastair is one of the longest-serving newspaper editors in the country. His titles have won numerous awards and spearheaded numerous successful campaigns.